The stories behind the buildings, statues and other points of interest that make Manhattan fascinating.

Saturday, July 16, 2016

The Ridley Watts House - No. 27 East 20th Street

James Rowe’s real estate office was located at No. 117 East Broadway
in the early 1840s.While it appears he
initially operated as an agent, by the middle of the decade he had branched
into real estate development.

In 1831 Samuel B. Ruggles had begun transforming the swampy
land which was part of James Duane’s Gramercy Farm into a fashionable
square.He laid out 60 residential plots
surrounding the park.Shortly after
landscaping of the square was started in 1844 refined brick and brownstone
mansions began rising around it.

The high-toned neighborhood spilled down the side streets.In 1842 James Rowe had already begun
construction of a Greek Revival home nearby at No. 25 East 20th
Street; and two years later he started on a similar residence next door at No. 27.Before
the end of the decade the block, between Broadway and Park Avenue, would be
lined with upscale homes.Across the
street six matching brownstones were completed in 1848, including the home of
Robert Barnwell Roosevelt at No. 26 and that of his brother and sister-in-law,
Theodore and Minnie Roosevelt at No. 28.

No. 27 was completed in 1846—a three-story Greek Revival
home faced in red brick and trimmed in brownstone.It sat above a rusticated brownstone English
basement.While the modest wooden
cornice did not flaunt the affluence of the intended homeowner, the elaborate
ironwork of the stoop did.The intricate
basket newels perched on stone drums were a welcomed hold-over from a
generation earlier; while the heavy ornate railings anticipated the Italianate
style.

The ornate newels with their fancy urn finials survive.

By the mid 1850s No. 27 was home to Ridley Watts and his
wife.Treasurer of the American
Geographical and Statistical Society, his office was at No. 78 South
Street.His involvement with the Society, which sent
expeditions to unexplored lands, was very likely prompted by his father-in-law,
Henry Grinnell.The millionaire merchant
had personally funded the 1850 Grinnell expedition to the arctic to find the
lost Franklin Polar Expedition.

In 1855 it appears that Mrs. Watts and one of her servants
mutually agreed to a separation.On
April 11 that year an advertisement appeared in The New York Herald:“Wanted—By a respectable Protestant English
girl, a situation as nurse or waiter; is a professed waiter; has good city
reference.Please call for two days at
her present place, 27 East Twentieth street.”

While wealthy New York families erected lavish summer
estates in Newport and other resorts, the Watts went a step further.The New York Times later mentioned “Mrs.
Ridley Watts has a handsome villa at Nice.”

As treasurer of the American Geographical and Statistical
Society, Watts was responsible, among his other duties, for collection the
donations necessary to launch the Society’s exotic expeditions.In April 1856 it announced the intentions “to
send out an expedition to explore the Western section of the broad central belt
of the African continent.”The New York
Herald noted “The considerations which have induced them to take this step, are
stated to be the remarkable success that has attended recent explorations on
the continent of Africa.”The Society
make it clear that the expedition would not sail until the $8,000 cost was
raised; and that subscriptions should be sent to Ridley Watts.

Intricate stoop railings swirl to the entrance, where even the ceiling is paneled.

When Civil War erupted in the South, Mrs. Watts focused
her attention on helping the cause.On
May 28 1861 Colonel Frederick George D’Utassy announced the formation of the
Garibaldi Guard, “composed of foreigners, a very large proportion of whom have
seen service.”He announced through The
New York Times, “We invite contributions of money [and] donations of clothing
and materials.”The article noted “Ladies
willing to lend their aid in making up clothing, &c., will learn how their
assistance may be made most effective, by applying to Mrs. Ridley Watts.”

The plea was successful and by June 3 the following week
$1,191 in cash had been donated.The Times
reported as well “Large quantities of materials for underclothes have been
purchased at wholesale, and cut out gratuitously by Union Adams.These are being made up by ladies and by
church societies, or given out to poor and deserving needle-women.”Nevertheless, further assistance was
necessary, “especially from those having sewing machines.”The article directed women to “apply” at the
Watts house on East 20th Street.

Mrs. Watts turned her attention briefly away from war work
when another crisis arose later that year.On December 4 an advertisement appeared in The New York Herald offering
a $3 reward.“Lost, on Saturday afternoon,
November 30, a Scotch Terrier.The above
will be paid on its return to 27 East Twentieth street.”The reward Mrs. Watts offered for her lost
pet would amount to about $75 in 2016.

By the last years of the decade Watts and his wife had left
20th Street.No. 27 was
apparently now owned by dentist M. Levett, who leased space to a Dr. Rowe.Rowe touted his exclusive cure for catarrh
through staged patient testimonials.

In
December 1867 the Evening Mail received a letter from Mrs. L. J. Curtis of
Norwalk, Connecticut.The newspaper said
she gave her “grateful thanks and thorough appreciation of his skill in curing
her of catarrh, from the effects of which, previous to consulting him, she had
been a martyr, or, as she expresses it, ‘had suffered so much and so long from.’”

The following month, The New York Times printed what seemed to
be a letter to the editor.But the
newspaper was careful to print “Advertisement”
below the signature of Mme. Westcott “the celebrated milliner of No. 771
Broadway.”Madame Westcott said that
previous to placing herself “under the care of Dr. Rowe…it was not only with
great difficulty that I could swallow, but it also affected my ear, causing me
many sleepless nights and much excruciating pain.Under Dr. Rowe’s treatment I was entirely
cured.”

Only a month later, in February 1868, Rowe was gone.Dr. M. Levett placed an ad in The New York Herald
that month offering “To Let—part of a house, consisting of parlor floor,
basement and kitchen and four rooms on this story, in a first class situation,
to a small family without children; parlor floor can be let separately if
desired.”

Later that year, in December, Dr. Levett advertised his
latest invention in the Evening Express.“The Suction Cellular Plate, with a Reticulated Goldweb Base, for
artificial teeth, is the perfection of dentistry.The plate is light, elastic, extremely
adhesive, strong and durable.” Patients
were directed to 27 East 20th Street, “fifth house from Broadway.”

Levett moved out of the house the following spring.The changing neighborhood was evidenced by an
advertisement in The New York Herald on May 13, 1869: “To Let—Three story high
stoop, No 27 East Twentieth street…containing 14 rooms, for dwelling or
business purposes.”

Another doctor, J. Burnap Dorsey, made No. 27 his home and
office.He died here on Sunday, March
14, 1875 and his funeral was held in the house three days later.

When James Muir purchased the once-elegant home businesses
had overtaken the block.In 1885 he
transformed the façade by installing a three-story commercial bay.Muir was the principal in the plumbing
contracting firm of James Muir, Sons & Co.A major player in Manhattan construction,
the firm handled substantial jobs.In
June 1890, for instance, Carpentry and Building reported on the construction of
the 13-floor Tower Building on lower Broadway.“The plumbing through is done in the very best manner by the well-known
firm of sanitary plumbers, James Muir, Sons & Co.”

Year Book of the Architectural League of New York, 1900 (copyright expired)

Muir leased out other space in the building.In 1891 Mme. Bruce, a fashionable dress
maker, was here.And in April 1895 when
architects George A. Freeman and Frank E. Wallis partnered to form Freeman
& Wallis, they opened their new office in the building.The Engineering Record reported on the
architects’ wide-flung aspirations. “The
firm will give special attention to alterations and remodeling, interior
decorations, designs for furniture, leaded glass, wrought-iron work,
mausoleums, etc.”

Muir installed the commercial bay while leaving the rest of the residential architecture intact.

In 1897 the architects hired a new bookkeeper, 30-year old Arthur
Harris.A bachelor, Harris was
interested in motorcars and was a member of the New-York Road Drivers’
Association.Unfortunately, he was also
interested in liquor and betting.

Around March 1900 Harris forged his first check using George
A. Freeman’s name.Having gotten away
with it, he did it again.And
again.By the time his forgeries were
discovered three months later, Freeman estimated the total amount at between
$4,000 and $5,000.

The New-York Tribune reported “Horses, the Speedway and
drinking are what Arthur Harris…blames for forgeries.”The newspaper described his appearance in
court as “thirty-three years old, tall, with a small mustache and wearing neat
clothing.”Magistrate Deuel held him on
$2,500 bail awaiting trial.

In 1902 Francis G. Dietz company had its offices and
showroom in the building.The
manufacturer produced the Rex Garment Supporter “for shirt waist, skirt and
belt of hygienic value for athletic and dressy occasions.”

New-York Tribune, June 15, 1902 (copyright expired)

Another tenant was the Jay C. Wemple Company, manufacturers
of window shades.The firm’s secretary
was Alonzo E. Wemple who met an unexpected death after leaving work on May 17,
1904.

The Evening World’s report of his demise was somewhat surprisingly
worded.“Alonzo E. Wemple…lies dead at
his home, he having expired suddenly while music played and diners in Shanley’s,
at Forty-second street, made gay.

“Mr. Wemple was in the restaurant last evening.The music was playing and about him
everywhere was life as it is known on Broadway.”

Wemple summoned the waiter and asked for a glass of
water.“I feel ill,” he said.

Before the waiter could return with the water, “Mr. Wemple
sank in his chair.Death came
quickly.He was removed to his
home.‘Heart disease,’ the doctors said.”

James Muir & Sons Co. was still in the building in 1917
when it received the contract for the plumbing work for Robert L. Livingston’s
$60,000 mansion on East 96th Street.But it moved out in 1921 when Muir leased the store to the bicycle firm
Colson Company.

The following year James Muir, Jr. sold both No. 25 and 27
East 20th Street to Isabelle K. Pentland.The houses continued to house small
businesses until August 1950 when the Tel Aviv Synagogue purchased both
structures through Herman Carman.

No. 27 was converted to a shul, known both as the Tel Aviv
Synagogue and “The Little Synagogue.”In
1961 Rabbi Armin Carman died at the age of 72; and three years later the estate
of Herman Carman sold the buildings to investor Charles A. Kenney.Nevertheless, the synagogue continued
operating here.

For decades it offered children’s entertainments like plays,
puppet shows and “Mother Goose Tales.”The Little Synagogue remained in the building nearly to the end of the
20th century.Today the house
where a wealthy socialite took donations to aid the Union Army shows the
effects of years of neglect.Yet the
extraordinary stoop ironwork testifies to the opulent lifestyles of its owners
170 years ago.